Veneers get sold as a smile makeover. They are actually a fairly specific tool that fixes a fairly specific set of problems, and they are permanent in a way most people do not fully register until afterward.
So before the price, the honest version of who they are for.
What a veneer is
A thin shell of porcelain, bonded to the front of a tooth, changing its shape, size or color. It covers the tooth you can see. It does nothing to the structure underneath.
That last part matters. A veneer is a cosmetic solution. If the problem is decay, a failing filling, or a bite that is grinding your teeth down, a veneer placed over the top of it is a cover, not a fix.
You are probably a good candidate if
- Your teeth are discolored in a way whitening will not touch. Tetracycline staining, an old dark filling showing through, or the shade you were simply born with.
- You have small chips, small gaps, or a couple of teeth that are slightly the wrong shape or length.
- The teeth are structurally sound. They just do not look how you want.
You are probably not, yet, if
- There is active decay or gum disease. That gets treated first, always. Bonding porcelain over an unhealthy foundation is how you end up paying twice.
- You grind your teeth and it is not being managed. Grinding will break porcelain. A night guard first, then we talk.
- What actually bothers you is crowding or the way your teeth line up. That is an orthodontic problem, and Invisalign will solve it better and without removing any enamel.
- You are hoping to fix one small chip. There is a smaller, cheaper, reversible answer for that. See below.
The part that is not reversible
To place a veneer, we remove a thin layer of enamel from the front of the tooth so the shell sits flush instead of looking bulky.
Enamel does not grow back. Once a tooth is prepped for a veneer, that tooth has a veneer on it for the rest of your life. When one wears out, it gets replaced, it does not get removed and forgotten.
That is not a reason to avoid veneers. It is a reason to be sure before you start, and to be told about it before you are in the chair rather than after.
What it costs
Porcelain veneers at East Lake Dental: about $1,600 per tooth.
A few things worth knowing about the number:
- Veneers are priced per tooth. Most people doing their front teeth are looking at six or eight of them, not one, so multiply accordingly.
- Porcelain veneers typically last five to fifteen years with normal care, at the longer end of that if you do not grind and you keep up your cleanings.
- Dental insurance almost never pays toward veneers. Plans classify them as cosmetic, and cosmetic is excluded outright on most plans. Assume this is out of pocket and treat any coverage as a surprise.
The cheaper option people should hear about first
If what is bothering you is one small chip, a minor gap, or a single tooth that is slightly short, ask about composite bonding before you ask about veneers.
Bonding is a tooth-colored resin applied directly to the tooth, shaped and cured in one visit. No lab, no waiting, no enamel removed. It costs a fraction of a veneer. It is less durable and it stains more over time. Bonding usually gives you a few years, where a veneer will often go longer, though that depends heavily on your bite and whether you grind.
For a small fix, bonding is usually the right scale of answer. We would rather tell you that than sell you eight veneers you did not need.
How it goes if you do it
Visit one, the consultation. We look at your teeth, your gums, your bite and what you actually want changed. This is where we tell you if veneers are the wrong tool. You get the full price before anything is prepped.
Visit two, the prep. Enamel is removed, impressions or a digital scan are taken, and temporaries go on while the lab makes the permanent set.
Visit three, the fit. The permanent veneers are tried in, adjusted, and bonded.
Come find out which one you need
The consultation is where this gets decided, and it costs you nothing to find out whether the answer is veneers, bonding, whitening, Invisalign, or leaving it alone.
Call (248) 437-4119.
East Lake Dental | 201 S Lafayette St, South Lyon, MI 48178 | (248) 437-4119
Come find out which one you need
The consultation is where this gets decided, and it costs you nothing to find out whether the answer is veneers, bonding, whitening, Invisalign, or leaving it alone.
Request an Appointment